Sachin Ala Re... Dhoni TOO

Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni thrill the crowds, on the field or off it. So when the people turned up in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday to felicitate the master blaster, who recently scored the highest Test runs and the captain-in-waiting Dhoni who, as the stand-in skipper, led India to victory over the Aussies in the Mohali Test, there was bound to be some fireworks.

Both were honoured with the traditional Maharashtrian pheta and a sword amid scenes of jubilation, as thousands turned up from every nook and corner of Pimpri-Chinchwad to give their heroes a standing ovation.

Tendulkar and Dhoni were in town for the inauguration of the Dilip Vengsarkar Cricket Academy set up in association with the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation at Thergaon.

There was one hitch though. The crowd was badly managed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the city police. Rather than managing the crowd, they played crazy fans.

Chaos reigned during the hour-long stay of the ace cricketers at the venue. The moment they arrived at the gates of the stadium, all hell broke loose. A stampede-like situation prevailed for minutes. Over 300 shutterbugs, both professionals and amateurs, went on a clicking spree blocking their entry into the stadium. Even as the two were being led on stage, the jostling lensmen and local fans tried to keep pace. Some tripped and some got hurt, others just fell down by the side and were left out.

The volunteers appointed to help the security made life miserable for mediapersons. It was perhaps sheer providence that the two cricketers escaped unscathed.

There was more tamasha on stage. Alongside speeches, the corporators, MLC, civic officers and local heavyweights present, many with their children in tow, vied with one another to get their pictures clicked with the Cricket stars. There was a melee as autograph hunters too got on stage. After the show, the scene was replicated on the ground where the two went out to toss for the inaugural match between Maharashtra XI and Mumbai XI.

Thankfully, both Tendulkar and Dhoni kept their cool, smiling and signing autographs without any fuss. In fact, Tendulkar, who has Z-plus security cover, reportedly asked his security staff to remain in the vehicle.

And when it was their turn to speak, the two didn't let the crowd down....




“Namaskar,” said Sachin as the crowd of youth waiting for him since early morning went delirious. “Mehanat kara, phal jaror milel. (work hard, it will yield fruit),” he said while thanking the residents for the honour bestowed on the two.

Tendulkar said he was sure the academy would produce outstanding cricketers. He didn’t utter a word on the comment made by Adam Ghilchrist regarding the monkeygate incident.

With the colourful pheta in place, Dhoni, the Jharkhand boy, hoped the “academy will not only produce Ranji trophy cricketers, but also Test cricketers.”


Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma played down the chaos during the visit. “Such things do happen... But overall, the function was very good. I was sitting next to Sachin and he sounded very happy. He was enquiring about the city and how the academy will be developed.”...